The present invention is related in general to systems for addressing, distributing, and tracking items in a delivery system such as the U.S. Postal Service or private carriers. In particular, the present invention is directed to an addressing technique that provides privacy and security for the recipient, and facilitates tracking and delivery of items that have been addressed using the technique.
The U.S. Postal Service, and private delivery systems, as well as foreign postal services have been compelled to deal with overwhelming amounts of material to be delivered. In order to facilitate delivery, the material to be delivered must be properly addressed, and then tracked within the system to the final destination. One key requirement is that each item be properly and accurately addressed for the intended destination, and individual to receive the item. Tracking and delivery within any system require that the address on the item be easily recognizable so that it can be properly routed and tracked to its ultimate destination.
To facilitate this process, it is very common to translate the written or printed address on an item to be delivered into machine-readable form, such as a barcode. A number of systems for doing this are employed by both government and private carriers. Once such system is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,747 to Fougere et al., incorporated herein by reference. In this system, an encrypted message based upon postage and mail address information is created. The encrypted message is used in the determination of authenticity. The encrypted message is placed in the address field of the item to be delivered so that authentication by an automatic, high-speed sorter can take place.
The most common system, used by the U.S. Postal Service, includes the use of barcodes so that high-speed sorters can very quickly read the address on a piece of mail. A system for generating a coded address list to facilitate the application of barcodes to pieces of mail is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,668,990 to Bajorinas et al., incorporated herein by reference. The invention of this patent is directed to a method in apparatus for generating a coded address list. In this method, the address list is used to apply a predetermined address in the form of a barcode to a particular piece of mail based upon the written or printed address on that piece of mail. The system will print a legible alphanumeric address at the same time that it prints a barcode. The Bajorinas et al. system is meant to be integrated into the standard barcode sorting system of the U.S. Postal Service, to address a long-standing problem in this system. In particular, there are substantial problems due to the length and complexity of many addresses that have to be translated into barcode format so that the U.S. Postal Service mail sorting machines can operate properly.
To be acceptable for use, the barcode must meet strict specifications as to size, spacing of parallel bars, and the exact placement upon the envelope or package. Consequently, there is a substantial need for accurate addressing using printing systems that will print the barcode. Because of delivery requirements, and an occasional need for manual checking throughout the system, a legible (human readable) address must also be printed along with the barcode. However, this can lead to compromised security since the recipient""s name and address are now available for general observation.
All postal systems throughout the world (as well as private carriers such as Federal Express, UPS, and the like) face the same problems, overwhelming amounts of items that must be delivered in a reasonable time frame, as well as the maintenance of confidentiality and security. To address these problems, more fully automated mail handling systems must be developed. In the past, the United States Postal Service addressed this through the use of the now-standard xe2x80x9cPost netxe2x80x9d barcode system, using five, nine, or eleven digits in machine-readable form. However, the limitations of this system have become apparent as the volume of mail handled by the U.S. Postal Service increases. There has been constant development to meet the challenges imposed by the ever-increasing volume of mail.
On such, improvement is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,907, entitled A SYSTEM FOR FEEDING ENVELOPES FOR SIMULTANEOUS PRINTING OF ADDRESSES AND BARCODES, and Incorporated herein by reference. This patent discloses a system for printing envelopes with addresses, zip codes, and corresponding barcodes. This system is controlled by a computer, which includes software for converting zip codes into barcode form for printing on the material to be delivered.
Another system that is used to improve the efficiency of the U.S. Postal System is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,326,181, entitled ENVELOPE ADDRESSING SYSTEM, ADAPTED TO SIMULTANEOUSLY PRINT ADDRESSES AND BARCODES, incorporated herein by reference. This patent teaches a method of addressing substrates with human-readable addresses containing a zip code and a barcode corresponding to the zip code. The method utilizes a computer, which controls a process whereby both a human-readable zip code and a machine-readable barcode are printed on a package to be delivered. A similar system is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,120, entitled AN APPARATUS FOR COMMINGLING AND ADDRESSING MAIL PIECES. This patent is also incorporated herein by reference.
The systems and techniques described in the aforementioned patents are limited in that efficiency is hampered when an address list, against which the coding is compared, contains data that cannot be easily converted to a useable barcode. This problem is addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,668,990, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR GENERATING 100% UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE BARCODE LISTS, incorporated herein by reference. This patent describes a method and apparatus for generating a coded address list. The method is initiated by inputting an address list to a data processing device, which then reads each address record on the addressed list. As an address record is read, a set of rules is applied to the record to determine whether or not a corresponding barcode can be assigned. If a barcode can be assigned, then the data processing device writes the address record and its corresponding barcode to a first list. If, a corresponding barcode is not determined for a particular address record, the unmatched address record is posted to a second list. The second list can then be manually corrected by a system operator. By separating the two lists, packages which have addressed data on the first list can be processed far more quickly.
Unfortunately, the aforementioned system does not address privacy (confidentiality) or security considerations. Nor does the system address all the problems inherent to large numbers of improperly addressed or illegibly addressed items for delivery. These are simply segregated from those which are easily integrated into the system. Nor is the privacy (security) of the sender (if a proper return address is being used) a consideration with any existing system.
One reason that there are difficulties in integrating certain pieces of mail into various delivery systems is that addresses are often complex, thereby increasing the chances that a fill address will not be sufficiently legible for a barcode to be assigned to it. Mail that cannot be assigned a barcode due to an incomplete or illegible address still constitutes a major problem.
On the other hand, the presence of fully legible addresses and return addresses tends to negate any privacy (security) that either of the parties may wish to have since individuals outside of the delivery system can often view the address information before entry to the delivery system. Likewise, any individual within the delivery system can also obtain full name and address information on either the sender or the recipient, even if the individual has no clearances to receive sensitive information.
Accordingly, additional modifications to the U.S. Postal System mail encoding and handling operations as well as private delivery systems, are needed. In particular, such systems must be made faster, and able to automatically handle virtually all of the items passing there through so that less time is lost and a greater percentage of articles can be automatically handled. Further, such improvements should enhance the security of both the sender and the recipient while providing all necessary information only to those in the delivery system who are authorized to use it.
Accordingly, it is one goal or object of the present invention to overcome the drawbacks of the conventional art directed to the automated handling of items in a delivery system.
It is an additional goal of the present invention to expand the potential of existing delivery systems.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system of universal address codes.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide address codes that are both machine-readable and human-readable.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a technique by which large amounts of personal information can be accessed based upon relatively short codes that can be used to address items for delivery.
It is again a further object of the present invention to provide a delivery system that provides safeguards against unauthorized access to address information for both the sender and the recipient of an item to be delivered.
It is stiff another object of the present invention to provide a delivery system in which a very short configuration of data can be used to address an item for delivery, while still providing access to comprehensive operators regarding address information for both sender and recipient.
It is yet an additional object of the present invention to provide a delivery technique in which a universal configuration of data can be used to provide complete address information for all possible senders and recipients interfacing with the delivery system.
It is again a further object of the present invention to provide an improved delivery technique that easily interfaces with existing delivery systems, such as the U.S. Postal System, Federal Express, UPS, and the like.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a technique for addressing items in a delivery system that is far more reliable than existing addressing techniques, resulting in fewer items that cannot be handled automatically.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a technique facilitating easy tracking of any particular, item through a delivery system.
It is again an additional object of the present invention to provide a technique to maximize both privacy and security in a delivery system.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a supplement to existing delivery systems in which additional recipient and sender data can be easily updated at the request of the relevant party.
It is again another object of the present invention to provide a technique for gradually modifying existing delivery systems where by such systems can achieve greater efficiency and user security.
It is yet a further goal to facilitate mail forwarding and address corrections, as well as other changes in address data.
These and other goals and objects of the present invention are achieved by a method of addressing an item for delivery to a destination. The method includes the steps of marking the item with a predesignated set of symbols associated with the destination. Afterwards, the predesignated sets of symbols are used to access a database to select address data associated with the destination.
Another aspect of the present invention includes a security system for routing an item for delivery. The system includes devices for inputting a predesignated set of symbols into the system, where the predesignated set of symbols is associated with the delivery destination of the item. The system also includes a database containing data specifying the destination or the item. This data is accessible by the use of the predetermined set of symbols.